Food product dispensers are found in restaurants, fast food establishments, convenience stores, and the like and are configured to dispense liquid or semi-liquid food products, such as syrups, fudges for ice cream, condiments, sandwich toppings, and dairy products.
Conventional food product dispensers typically include a container that holds a supply of the food product to be dispensed. The food product is poured from a storage container, such as a can or flexible pouch, into the container where the food product held until it is dispensed. In some food product dispensers, the food product is refrigerated or heated while the food product is in the container. The food product dispenser includes a pump, such as a hand-operated piston pump, at least partially submerged in the food product such that actuation of the pump dispenses the food product. The present inventors have recognized that high-viscosity food products, such as liquid fudge and nacho cheese, often require that a large force to be applied to the pump in order to dispense the food product. Accordingly, through research and experimentation, the present inventors have developed the food product dispenser of the present disclosure that has a lever with a slidable pivot end such that the operator can apply primarily vertical forces to the pump such that the food product can be dispensed from the container with ease and lateral forces and stresses acting on the pump are reduced or eliminated.
The following U.S. Patent is incorporated herein by reference in entirety:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,746 discloses a hand operated piston displacement-type pump having a one-piece valve body retaining a removable cylinder and discharge tube, for dispensing prescribed portions of complex fluids, such as food products or liquids with suspended solids, at a desired point outside of a storage container. Valve ball control of the flow of the product is obtained with the combination of the precision channels in the valve body and in the bottom of the cylinder and discharge tube. The valve body includes structure necessary for seal and connection to allow the cylinder and discharge tube to be removed, without tools, for cleaning.